encountered generally especially at the present time; "the prevailing opinion was that a trade war could be averted"; "the most prevalent religion in our area"; "speculation concerning the books author was rife"
characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; "a hotheaded decision"; "liable to such impulsive acts as hugging strangers"; "an impetuous display of spending and gambling"; "madcap escapades"; (`brainish' is archaic)
having existence or being or actuality; "an attempt to refine the existent machinery to make it more efficient"; "much of the beluga caviar existing in the world is found in the Soviet Union and Iran"
a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of; "racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation"; "according to him, I was the canker in their midst"
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
the event of passing out of sight
ceasing to exist; "he regretted the disappearance of Greek from school curricula"; "what was responsible for the disappearance of the rainforest?"; "the disappearance of resistance at very low temperatures"